Beyou leads after first day

The Figaro fleet is back in action in the Route du Ponant in St Gilles

Taking just a moment to draw breath after the arduous Solitaire du Figaro, the last race in the Figaro class 2003 championship got under way today in St Gilles (if Detroit is home to Ford, St Gilles is the equivalent for Beneteau).

Because of its proximity to the Solitaire, only 18 Figaros are racing in the Route du Ponant.

Two windward-leewards were got under today kicking off at 1100 in 10 knot northerly winds.

In the first race Gildas Morvan on Cercle Vert and Laurent Pellecuer on Cliptol Sport were OCS and had to restart. The fleet divided in two with the left hand group including Jérémie Beyou and Charles Caudrelier-Bénac on Bostik Findley while Yann Eliès on Group Generali Assurances went extreme right. The ever prudent Erwan Tabarly on Thales chose the middle ground.

At the weather mark it was Eric Drouglazet on David Olivier who was leading in front of Romain Attanasio on Trébeurden Port and Erwan Tabarly. At the end of the first lap it was former 470 World Champion Benoit Petit who was leading at of Gwenaël Riou on Espoir Credit Agricole and Jérémie Beyou. Just four minutes separated first to last. Petit maintained his lead to win ahead of Beyou and Tabarly.

The competitors launched straight into the second race of the day with the wind having built to 13 knots and backed to the northeast. However the wind continued to shift forcing the race committee to shift the weather mark.

Towards the first weather mark former rugby player Gildas Morvan was leading just ahead of Solitaire du Figaro winner Armel le Cléac'h and Charles Caudrelier-Bénac. However at the finish line le Cléac'h had knocked Morvan back down to second, with Caudrelier-Bénac third in front of Laurent Pellecuer and Romain Attanasio.

Overall after two races it is Jérémie Beyou who is leading the Route du Ponant ahead of Armel Cléac'h and Gildas Morvan

Race one
1: "Defi Sante Voile" Petit Benoit, S R de Brest
2: "Delta Dore" Beyou Jérémie, S R Perros Guirec
3: "Thales" Tabarly Erwan, Y C de Morlaix
4: "Groupe Generali Assurances" Elies Yann, C N de Binic
5: "David Olivier" Drouglazet Eric, Ctre Naut de Cornouaille
6: "Espoir Credit Agricole" Riou Gwénaêl, U S A M Brest
7: "Port Trebeurden" Attanasio Romain, Centre Nautique Municipal de Penmarc'h
8: "Cercle Vert" Morvan Gildas, S R de Brest
9: "Crealine" le Cleac'h Armel, C N de St Pol
10: "Cliptol Sport" Pellecuer Laurent, Yacht Club de la Grande Motte
11: "Petit Navire, le Bon Gout du Large" Chabagny Thierry, Ctre Naut de Cornouaille
12: "Skandia" Davies Samantha, Grande-Bretagne
13: "Reve de Grand-Actual Interim" le Blevec Yves, S N Trinite S/mer
14: "Mbd Design Sorelec" Boissieres Arnaud, Cercle Voile Pyla S/mer
15: "Bostik Findley" Caudrelier Charles, Y C de L Odet
16: "Petits Petons" Artaud Christophe, Yacht Club de la Grande Motte
17: "Skipper Ag2r" Gregoire Jeanne, France
18: "Sector Sport Watches" Agusta Corrado, Societe Nautique de Marseille

Race two
1: "Crealine" le Cleac'h Armel, C N de St Pol
2: "Cercle Vert" Morvan Gildas, S R de Brest
3: "Bostik Findley" Caudrelier Charles, Y C de L Odet
4: "Cliptol Sport" Pellecuer Laurent, Yacht Club de la Grande Motte
5: "Port Trebeurden" Attanasio Romain, Centre Nautique Municipal de Penmarc'h
6: "Delta Dore" Beyou Jérémie, S R Perros Guirec
7: "Groupe Generali Assurances" Elies Yann, C N de Binic
8: "Petits Petons" Artaud Christophe, Yacht Club de la Grande Motte
9: "Mbd Design Sorelec" Boissieres Arnaud, Cercle Voile Pyla S/mer
10: "Defi Sante Voile" Petit Benoit, S R de Brest
11: "Espoir Credit Agricole" Riou Gwénaêl, U S A M Brest
12: "Petit Navire, le Bon Gout du Large" Chabagny Thierry, Ctre Naut de Cornouaille
13: "Reve de Grand-Actual Interim" le Blevec Yves, S N Trinite S/mer
14: "David Olivier" Drouglazet Eric, Ctre Naut de Cornouaille
15: "Thales" Tabarly Erwan, Y C de Morlaix
16: "Skandia" Davies Samantha, Grande-Bretagne
17: "Skipper Ag2r" Gregoire Jeanne, France
18: "Sector Sport Watches" Agusta Corrado, Societe Nautique de Marseille

Overall after two races

1: "Delta Dore" Beyou Jérémie (8 pts) S R Perros Guirec
2: "Crealine" le Cleac'h Armel (10 pts) C N de St Pol
3: "Cercle Vert" Morvan Gildas (10 pts) S R de Brest
4: "Defi Sante Voile" Petit Benoit (11 pts) S R de Brest
5: "Groupe Generali Assurances" Elies Yann (11 pts) C N de Binic
6: "Port Trebeurden" Attanasio Romain (12 pts) Centre Nautique Municipal de Penmarc'h
7: "Cliptol Sport" Pellecuer Laurent (14 pts) Yacht Club de la Grande Motte
8: "Espoir Credit Agricole" Riou Gwénaêl (17 pts) U S A M Brest
9: "Bostik Findley" Caudrelier Charles (18 pts) Y C de L Odet
10: "Thales" Tabarly Erwan (18 pts) Y C de Morlaix
11: "David Olivier" Drouglazet Eric (19 pts) Ctre Naut de Cornouaille
12: "Mbd Design Sorelec" Boissieres Arnaud (23 pts) Cercle Voile Pyla S/mer
13: "Petit Navire, le Bon Gout du Large" Chabagny Thierry (23 pts) Ctre Naut de Cornouaille
14: "Petits Petons" Artaud Christophe (24 pts) Yacht Club de la Grande Motte
15: "Reve de Grand-Actual Interim" le Blevec Yves (26 pts) S N Trinite S/mer
16: "Skandia" Davies Samantha (28 pts) Grande-Bretagne
17: "Skipper Ag2r" Gregoire Jeanne (34 pts) France
18: "Sector Sport Watches" Agusta Corrado (36 pts) Societe Nautique de Marseille